If you've ever wondered just how elaborate a medical scam can get, the case of Mary Blakley—who spent two decades masquerading as "Doctor Mary"—is about to blow your mind. And it just got bigger.
Federal prosecutors have added a third defendant to what's already one of the most audacious healthcare fraud schemes to hit the Southwest. Janmarie Lanzo, a Lake Havasu City resident who worked alongside the infamous Blakley couple, now faces charges for her alleged role in a conspiracy that convinced desperate patients they could cure cancer with veterinary drugs and cosmetic cream.
The superseding indictment filed this month expands the case against Mary and Fred Blakley, the Arizona couple who allegedly operated fake cancer treatment clinics across five states. According to federal prosecutors, Lanzo helped sell the bogus treatments that Mary prescribed based on her equally bogus "full body scans."
The "Smart Chip" Fantasy
Here's where the story gets truly wild. Mary Blakley, now 75, convinced patients that her ultrasound machines contained revolutionary "smart chip technology" that could diagnose everything from cancer to kidney stones with a simple scan. The catch? As AZ Family discovered, no such technology exists—not even a little bit.
For $300 a pop, Blakley would wave an ultrasound wand over patients' bodies and claim she could see protein spikes in their brains (impossible with ultrasound), detect cancer cells, and identify a host of other conditions. Then came the prescription: veterinary deworming medication for cancer treatment and cosmetic moisturizer that could supposedly "pull cancer cells out through the skin."
One former patient, nurse practitioner Mary Page Smith, saw right through the charade during her husband's 2023 appointment. "You can't see protein in an ultrasound," Smith told investigators. "You can't really ultrasound people's brains. That's why we have MRIs and CT scans." Yet thousands of desperate patients, many battling serious illnesses, fell for the elaborate ruse.
street_address:1951 Mesquite Ave, Ste I, Lake Havasu City, AZ 86403 street_address2:Riviera Boulevard and Mesquite Avenue, Lake Havasu City, AZ
A Master Class in Identity Fraud
Mary Blakley didn't just fake medical procedures—she faked everything. The FBI's victim notice reads like a con artist's greatest hits: she used at least ten different last names and six different first names, operated under more than a dozen business names, and claimed credentials from institutions where she'd never set foot.
Her daughter, Charity Carson-Hawke, blew the whistle in 2018 after reconnecting with her estranged mother. Walking into the clinic, Carson-Hawke saw walls covered with certificates and diplomas claiming her mother had trained in Sweden and worked at prestigious cancer hospitals in Texas. There was just one problem: Carson-Hawke knew it was all fabricated. "I couldn't believe she went to that extent to make up all these phony certificates and doctorate degrees," she told investigators.
The supposed PhD? According to court documents, it came from Gatesville University, a school that was literally featured in an article titled "How to Identify Diploma Mills." Investigators found that for $2,500, anyone could purchase a PhD from these fake institutions—no actual education required.
From Meth to Medical Fraud (With a Weapons Detour)
The Blakleys' criminal résumé stretches back decades. In 1997, they were busted for manufacturing methamphetamine in Nevada, served nearly five years in federal prison, and apparently decided healthcare fraud was a more lucrative career path upon release.
But the really shocking part? While running their medical scam, Fred Blakley was allegedly preparing for war—literally. FOX 10 Phoenix uncovered FBI recordings where Mary boasted that Fred and their pastor were "making thousands of guns" and "arming Arizona" for a potential civil war.
Despite being prohibited from owning firearms due to their drug convictions, authorities found approximately 30 firearms and 30,000 rounds of ammunition in Fred's workshop. His recorded comments about planning to "shoot some humans" and having bullets with "a D on it" for Democrats paint a disturbing picture of political extremism mixed with medical fraud.
Arizona's Healthcare Fraud Capital Status
If you're starting to think Arizona has a serious healthcare fraud problem, you're absolutely right. The Blakley case is just the tip of an iceberg that's cost taxpayers billions.
ProPublica's investigation revealed a staggering $2.5 billion Medicaid fraud scheme targeting Native Americans, with the state recovering only 5% of stolen funds. Meanwhile, another Arizona couple, Alexandra Gehrke and Jeffrey King, pleaded guilty to a $1.2 billion wound graft scam that targeted elderly and hospice patients.
The pattern is depressingly consistent: fraudsters target the most vulnerable populations—cancer patients, elderly individuals, Native Americans—and exploit their desperation for affordable healthcare. Arizona featured prominently in the DOJ's 2024 National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Action, with seven defendants charged in schemes involving hundreds of millions in fraudulent billings.
The Human Cost
Beyond the financial damage, these scams carry a devastating human toll. Patients like those who visited Health Screenings 4 Life weren't just bilked out of money—they were potentially steered away from legitimate medical care during critical treatment windows. One patient testimonial on Yelp described being told she had "Stage 4 Breast Cancer which had metastasized" based on Blakley's fake scan, causing unnecessary panic and distress.
Legal Reckoning
The expanded charges carry serious consequences. The Blakleys face up to 165 years in prison each if convicted on all counts, while Lanzo faces five years for her alleged conspiracy role. Both Mary and Fred remain in federal custody after being denied pre-trial release—apparently, judges weren't convinced that a couple with a history of fleeing prosecution and stockpiling weapons would stick around for trial.
Their trial is set for April 29 in Philadelphia, where prosecutors will likely present a case spanning decades of deception, thousands of victims, and a scheme that perfectly exemplifies how healthcare fraud preys on human desperation.
The Bigger Picture
The timing of this expanded indictment reflects the ongoing nature of the federal investigation and suggests prosecutors are building an even more comprehensive case. But it also highlights a troubling reality: as healthcare costs skyrocket and patients seek alternatives, the market for "miracle cures" and "revolutionary treatments" continues to grow.
The FBI is actively seeking additional victims across the five states where the Blakleys operated. For families who trusted "Doctor Mary" with their health, the betrayal runs deeper than financial fraud—it's a violation of the sacred trust between patient and healer, even when that healer was never legitimate to begin with.
As for Mary Blakley's two-decade career as a fake doctor? It's finally over. Now the question is whether justice can provide some measure of closure for the hundreds of patients who believed they were receiving life-saving treatment, only to discover they were paying $300 for elaborate theater with potentially deadly consequences.
